Q: You wrote the Broncos were "routinely disappointing in the running game in 2012." It seems to me that Knowshon Moreno had several good games, both as a runner and blocker for (Peyton) Manning. What have I missed with regard to the Broncos placing this kind of priority on drafting a runner? Further, I haven't seen too many glowing reviews of the (Montee) Ball pick in the initial assessment of the draft by national press outlets.

A: Lee, the Broncos are not going to be a run-first team with Peyton Manning at quarterback.

But they can be a far more efficient running team and will have to be if they want to improve on last year's finish. Even in these pass-first times, with inflated numbers for all involved throwing the ball, there is still a place for a team to run the ball when it wants to.

Especially with so many defenses deploying lighter formations, with five, six and sometimes even seven, defensive backs on the field, even in the scoring zone. That gives the team that can run the ball the ability to keep drives going and score touchdowns with some well-placed play calls.

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It's no accident the New England Patriots were fourth in the league in pass attempts last season — 641, or 53 more than the Broncos — and yet also led the league in rushing touchdowns with 25.

Bill Belichick has long been considered one of the league's best defensive minds, and his approach on offense as a head coach has always been to routinely do what gives defenses problems. And that's whether it's more four- and five-wide receiver sets, more no-huddle or more two-tight end formations.

Broncos coach John Fox: "The area offensively we need to improve in the most is the run game." (Denver Post file)

Last year, the Patriots, like most high-end passing attacks, found themselves facing smaller defensive formations. So, when they wanted to run they did it with a big back — 220-pound Stevan Ridley — and did it plenty in the scoring zone, enough to be the league leader in rushing touchdowns.

The 49ers and Ravens — the two Super Bowl teams — were tied for sixth in the league in rushing touchdowns last season, each with 17.

The Broncos, often facing the same kind of lighter defensive formations with Manning behind center and essentially using a three-wide look as their base offense, never consistently ran the ball in important third-down situations or in the scoring zone. They were tied for 13th in the league in rushing touchdowns last season with 12.

And it isn't a new issue. Even in 2011, when they led the league in rushing, they were tied for 19th in the league in rushing touchdowns with just 11.

And in the playoff loss to the Ravens, the Broncos were forced to give the ball back to the Ravens in regulation in the first place because the Broncos were incapable of running the ball when they needed/wanted to.

Everyone talks about the third-and-7 call when they ran Ronnie Hillman rather than let Manning, who was obviously affected by the cold in terms of his ability to grip the ball by that point in the game, try to make a play.

But had they been able to run the ball to simply close out a game on first and second down, the Ravens don't get the ball back, there is no 70-yard touchdown pass, and the Broncos would have played in the AFC championship game at home.

But with a pile of injuries at running back, they had Hillman, who had dropped below 180 pounds by the end of his rookie season, as the primary back. And they couldn't clear enough room up front with the game on the line to get Hillman free.

With a seven-point lead and trying to use up the final minutes on the clock, Hillman went for a two-yard gain and one-yard gain on the first two carries of the fateful possession before the now infamous third-and-7 call. But even earlier in the game, the Broncos had failed to convert a third-and-1 and a third-and-2 with running plays.

The Ravens scored a touchdown on their possession following the failed third-and-1.

It's why the Broncos signed guard Louis Vasquez to the longest deal they've handed out in free agency, selected Ball in the second round of draft and why they are working with Hillman to keep his weight up this time around so he can be the impact change-of-pace back they want him to be.

Or as John Fox put it this past weekend:

"Well, I think, really overall the area offensively we need to improve in the most is the run game."

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